The ghettoization of homosexuals into a set class of stereotypes

I feel you. I believe stereotypes are hurtful not because they're necessarily negative, but because they're a failure to complexly imagine an individual as an individual.

 

I think the famous members of the queer community can't help but play into these stereotypes because there's also a more insidious class-based explanation [I always think there's a more insidious class-based explanation, but bear with me here...]: firstly, many of the the stereotypes you describe are indicative of an affluent urban life, e.g. the theater, coffee shops, malls, et. al. This plays into a complex web of divide and conquer tactics commonly waged against oppressed peoples for centuries: associating an oppressed group, such as women or queer people, with a 'wrongly' deserved and enviable level of comfort [e.g. women and girls receiving their money from a spouse or parent]. You could also see this dynamic at play with venomous stereotypes against Jewish people, who were perceived as usurers who were more well off than the average European through avenues other than hard work. Actually, now that I think about it, you see many of the same stereotypes for queer people, Jewish people, and women, with the alleged decadence and foreign nature of the metropolitan lifestyle. This is all to alienate minorities from material hardships faced by members of the broader working class, not to mention alienating them from the working class in the first place, and make them an Othered scapegoat for the societal ills actually perpetuated by our moneyed ruling class.

And this is not a conspiracy on their part; it's just that these harmful memes are more likely to be replicated in an environment favorable to the aforementioned plutocrats, such as mainstream media. Further, wealthy queer people, Jewish people and women will more often have the spotlight, so thus these dangerous, hateful stereotypes are fed into simply because the affluent are the producers and stars of most media.

Sorry if this explanation is kind of from a radical political perspective, and rather long-winded as well as clumsily worded because I'm sleepy. To make up for it, here is an adorable bunny:

 

The more we pay attention to stereotypes, offending words et cetera, the more they prevail.

Be careful not to shame those stereotypical gay guys though. I know one person who is just too "gay" to function. I could never like those things, but still I think he has every right to be as outrageously metrosexual and wild as he wants. Instead of criticising and complaining about those who fit into the stereotype, try to be an example of one who doesn't.

 

Ugh! I do get stereotypes dumped on me now and again. I'm just happy it's not as bad as it could be.

My mom keeps saying shit like, "you like her!" Every time a female appears on tv and isn't ugly. Both her and my stepdad are stubbornly convinced I'm obsessed with being gay and LGBT issues. That I've wrapped my whole identity in being gay. Truth is, I very rarely bring it up or think about it.

Okay, I'm a little girl-crazy, but no more than the average teenager is boy-crazy.

On a semi-related note, I wish she would stop bringing up how much better it would be for me to marry a man. And that shit is based on traditional gender roles to boot!

 

The biggest stereotype I hate is gay men piece their right ear as I see no logic behind it (most others have stupid logic like all gay men are all feminine) does any one know how that one started?

 

Yeah, I hate how people say that whenever we have sex it's "disgusting" and that they don't want to hear about it. Alrighty (even though I'm forced to listen to a myriad of hetero sexual encounters and escapades on a daily basis, but you don't see me complaining, do you?), but if you don't want to hear about it, then don't.freaking.ask.

I can remember my mom saying that I must be gay because I'm organizing my walk in closet in my bedroom. Hmm mom, maybe it's because I don't use 65% of my clothes, probably due to the fact that I spend the majority of my time in a dorm on campus or at my father's home, away from your home, therefore demonstrating that I don't need all of these clothes collecting dust and thus is why I'm.getting.rid.of them :bang:.

 

I think that's a reference to some code. Supposedly, piercing the right ear shows other gay men you're also gay. I don't know how they tell the difference between intentional and unintentional in that regard. There is probably a top/bottom variation, since left and right often are used that way, supposedly.

 

I thought the gay ear thing was just a joke thing that people used to tease, ie. whichever ear you pierced it was always the 'gay' one

 

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

It's funny how some straight people think lady gaga is gay people's leader and we all love her . I love stepping into a gay bar just to prove these people wrong it's so funny when people find out I'm lesbian and their shocked that I'm dressing nice and I'm attractive and not wearing flannel shirt oh and that I have long hair and make up on .:roflmao:

 

Hey, I just wanted to drop by and ask you to not use the word ghetto. It's not a big deal or anything, but ghettos were torture cities in WWII that Nazis stuck Jews in to play god. Although the word has morphed into commonspeak, I am somewhat offended, only because I've been to the Natl. Holocaust Museum and I've seen what actually went on in there. Sorry if this is off topic, but please don't use that word in this context in the future.

 

Thought this would be about how gay ppl gentrify neighbourhoods then the rich ppl want to live there and screw up the prices so the gays have to move ha

 

I fit all the stereotypes too, I'm super feminine, wear some feminine clothes, go to plays, enjoy campy movies, make feminine gestures, have a high pitched voice, and I hate sports. In addition I don't consider myself to be a man, and while that's different from gay, a lot of people don't know that.

 

Hey, well we both have our own opinions. I'll respect yours if you'll respect mine. I understand that you do not find it offensive. No biggie!

---------- Post added 22nd Jul 2014 at 06:52 PM ----------

And, I'm somewhat more sensitive, because I have family + friends who had died/survived, so the word is somewhat triggering for them as well. I apologise if it wasn't my place to intervene.

 

Some ones that I have come across:
Person has never dated opposite sex, they have to be gay! If a man has effeminate movements, voice and likes to dress nice, he is gay! Gay people are sluts. If you are gay, that means that you are attracted to every single person who happens to be the same gender as you.

***

Stereotypes are hurtful. They further spread about misinformation. There really needs to be more done to get the general public properly educated on this.